Tim,
Let me get this straight. You have commiments from your 18 AGC's to "pledge" a little over $2,000 a month back AFTER taxes, because there is no way to show that as a "pre-tax" deduction. I could be wrong on that, but I don't think so. And I asked you a question a few pages back that you never answered.
Are you saying that DL141 and NOT the IAMNPF are the ones responsible for the slashing of our pension? If so how? I really would like to know what you know. Feel free to PM if you like.
Also, I truely believe that aside from a certain VP , and 1 AGC, the ND team has been solid in their efforts.
Do you not think that changing the players in the middle of the game changes the game? Why would you set back negotiations for your own selfish reasons? And I believe this to be true.
What happens if/when you lose, are you gonna try to get a different union that see's things "your way"?
How would you "extend" protections for those stations? We as a collective, agreed to the terms set forth in the current agreement right?
Again it appears thet you are the spoiled kis throwing a tantrum because you didn't get your way.
It doesn't have to be "Tim's" way or the highway, as you appear to be stating, but we do have to work together.
But whatever, the IAM is a democratic union, and that is your right to try to put a ticket together to run against the current leadership. Best of luck to you.
PJ, you have some valid questions.
Item 1: AGC pay
The Grand Lodge provides half of the AGC pay. The actual salary can not be cut. $125,000 is waaaayyy too much for the Prez, whether it is me or Delaney. $100,000 is waaaayyyy too much for an AGC. What I am going to do is pledge back to the membership through donations to this district gross monies over the $75,000 gross money mark. It's nothing tricky so I'm not trying to trick you ok and I'm not blowing smoke up your butt and suckering you guys into thinking net vs gross. I gross pay of $75,000 is more than enough money and I would be grateful to the membershp for it. Anymore would be HIGHWAY ROBBERY. PERIOD! That means that I'll probably net about $50,000 which is a ton of money for me or whoever is representing you. Regarding the AGC's. I have been in contact with 'solid' team members and I have asked them to follow my leadership and pledge back the monies over the $75,000 gross mark. IMO, nobody is going to go poor making $75,000. That would mean me pledging back to the membership over $50,000 gross monies. The easiest thing to do is to just pass a measure to cut the salaries but it can't be done. But, it's not good enough to just say it can't be done since there is NOTHING stopping me and my team from donating back YOUR money. Our officers are overpaid period. When I become Prez, I don't just wanna be Prez for one term, I want to be prez until I am forced out due to retirement and I want to build this district by serving the membership and washing the memberships feet. That's how you build an incredibly huge powerful union. But it requries sacrifice and will require that the officers quit pimping the membership with inflated salaries. It is the fair, reasonable and Just thing to do. I really don't know what else I can say about it.
Item 2: IAMPF
The INTL Pension fund folks are responsible for slashing your pensions. My gripe with the District is that Delaney decided not to tell anyone about it. He lied and said he didn't even know. His AGC's should have called a spade a spade and chastised the INTL for it. Going forward, ask your AGC if he supports increasing the IAM pension fund contributions of your employer. As President, I would put any increases into your wage, for instance, if Delaney is wanting to increase the employer's IAMPF contribution another .25 cents per hour then I would rather put that increase in your pocket in the form of a wage. The reason is because once those monies go into the IAMPF, YOU lose control and the IAMPF can once again slash and pull a "Robin Hood Reversed". It was a complete and utter crime what happened and we need to find out what the stance is of our current AGC's. If they are all in favor of increasing company contributions to the IAM instead of putting that money in increasing your wage, then I have a huge problem with them. We have already seen evidence that there is a giant hole in that pocket that says "IAM Pension Fund". It isn't guaranteed and may even default one day. Put the additional monies in wages, days off, health benefits, or the pockets of the members, but don't put any additional gains right back into a pocket that has a hole in it. IMO, I don't think any AGC is advocating increasing IAMPF amounts. If so then vote against that person. And I doubt any negotiations team members would advocate that. I know the IAM's position. Since it's not presently the IAM"s money, the IAM is saying that even though they hammered your pension that you should be in great shape because they will just ask the company to increase its contribution rates [your money ] into the IAMPF coffers and, on paper, your future rates may go from $48 up to maybe the $60's in you increase your funding. Makes no sense. Makes no sense at all. Increase funding so what? So the IAM Trustees can just steal more as its membership dwindles? In closing, I just think the AGC's should have called it what it was. Highway robbery of your pension by your union. Were they the ones doing the robbing? No. And I don't think Delaney should have lied about it when he didn't communicate about it. Yeah Yeah, I know he said he didn't know...but really?? He knew but it's the same political communication crap game he plays.
Item 3: Changing players in the middle of the game? First off, it's not the middle of the game. Second off, we aren't even in the game. Third off, if it was the middle of the game then YES. Sometimes you have to change the starting pictures because things don't get any better. In life, it's normal and customary to change players in the middle of the game in all phases of life. The alternative is to just keep the same leader who hasn't done squat. Keeping the same broken thing is the definition of insanity. Changing for my own selfish reasons??? No. If I wanted to be selfish I would just piss on you guys and have kept my job and my $75,000 salary. It's called sacrifice and I sacrificed $75,000 and gladly wear my knee pads again because as I was doing a great job for you and the membership directing the organizing department, RD was smoking cigars and playing golf and not even thinking about US AIRWAYS. You had an ass kicking Director of Organizing PJ who was responsible for growing your union with winning 17,000 eligible voters in two elections. Go away from home for 60 days at a time bro, or leave your station for just a few days, then come tell me I'm selfish. I may be an #### or a prick but I damn near wasn't selfish against the membership.
And what President blows off the first section 6 negotiations in over 10 years? He hasn't missed one negotiations session at United. US AIRWAYS members need to be treated the same as ALL other members. Say I'm selfish all day PJ but I did my job and produced. Was I your organizing director for my own selfish reasons? You should already have an answer if you only looked at the scoreboard. I produced by building a team and building solidarity. Organizing drives are won by building solidarity. It's the same with representation. If you guys want a industry leading contract then you need a leader who KNOWS how to build solidarity and HAS built solidarity. RD has no idea how to build solidarity because he is lazy. When was the last time he even showed up in CLT? He could care less about US AIRWAYS. Bottom line.
Item 4: What happens if I lose? Since 2007 I have become fascinated with the IAM as I have found its democracy interesting. I haven't always done things the right way. I used to think that it was easier to vote out the union than it was to vote out the lame leader. When me and you were organizing for the IBEW and went to CLT I think our energies were misplaced. I started listening to the membership, and so did you, and we gave the constitution a chance to work. Since then, the template of not having elections has been smashed because of the pioneering of 2008 of me, you, and a few thousand members. If I get my butt handed to me then oh well. Better luck next time for me then I guess. I can't be sure of how many tickets there will be this time but at least 3 tickets have already been formed. Mine, Karen's, and Rich's. I am suspecting a 4th ticket may also be formed which would be a sorta morph off of Rich's but time will tell. In other words, I may have been the first to part ways with RD, but I don't believe I will be the last.
Item 5: How to extend terms, didn't we agree to the terms??
Good question. We agreed to the terms until the ammendable date, that is why we are negotiating new terms right now. So the question can be reduced to "How does a union negotiate new terms?"
Remember, Organizing and Representation go hand in hand as far as success. Representation is about negotiations and grievance handling. But, the foundation of any negotiations is solidarity. RC, and RD did not know how to build solidarity. The IAM doesn't know how to build solidarity, that's why they continually got it's arse handed to it in every organizing attempt. I know how to build solidarity and I built solidarity which is plan to see in organizing. Building solidarity starts with the vision of a leader and he/she must know the recipe. It's not so much a science. But, whatever it looks like, it starts with empowering the masses and involving them. Once president, I will stand on the shoulders of the masses, just like I stood on the shoulders of the organizers and eligible voters, as opposed to trying to do it by myself or cutting deals with management to not involve the masses. PJ, your company is not fearful of me, RD, or superman himself. Your company is afraid of a leader who has a vision to involve the membership and is not fearful of management. Thus, management is afraid of the masses. I intend to release the masses. That doesn't mean we go on strike 6 years from now and it doesn't mean we do wildcat strikes and break the law. It means that we educate the masses on their self worth and also educate the public with a corporate campaign against Corporate greed. It also means that we continue to do a professional job. US AIRWAYS baggage was number 1 in the latest numbers but you guys are way down the list as far as wages/benefits goes. There is NO RESPECT in return. There are 19 stations on the chopping block right now. At the very least we need to get a LOA to extend those protections while we negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. We have to have the back of those stations. Our positions must be clear to management that we will not tolerate any more job loss due to contracting our the jobs of our brothers and sisters. And if management challenges us, we must legally do what we have to do as a union to communicate properly. We are not a defeated group, we just have a defeated leader. We don't need the government or anyone else involved in our business with management. I believe our membership is ready to be lead and is tired of the same ole. In essence, neither I, RD, or Superman can get those extensions since it's the masses that can get them. It's called solidarity and only with a solid union can such things be achieved. I couldn't organize one person, but when the vision was to empower the masses, we organized all. In negotiations, the District president should only be the conduit of the masses and not fancy himself.
Item 6: You appear like the spoiled kid who didn't get his way? What do you mean by that? What was my way? When we did ND8, I told RD I would direct the organizing department, and he could direct the representation department. I came through. He didn't come through on anything from Aloha, Hawaiian, UA, CO, or US. Try checking out that nasty contract he signed at Hawaiian. All I ever wanted was for him to do his job and he didn't. So I'm running against him to finish the job and to release the masses to get the contract they deserve. And I'm not going to sign andy Gosh Darn confidentiality papers where I can't talk to the members. Tell me PJ, has your AGC told you what they are asking for? This airline is still making close to record profits and is doing some serious butt kicking. Cripes, it kicked Southwest all over the place in PHL and now we are following Southwest to ATL to get some more Southwest booty. Your airline is a great airline and when I had to buy tickets I almost always bought tickets on this airline because it had the most competitive fares, much better than Southwest. It's past time that the workers at US AIRWAYS get rewarded and get their past sacrifices back and get industry leading wages.
Item 7: It doesn't have to be Tim's way.
True. No complaints there.
Item 8: IAM democracy.
Amen! Let's get'r done!!!!!
regards,
Tim Nelson
cell: 224-234-5414